EDITORIAL | Kelly Smith, Keneilwe Shalaba, now Tiffany Meek — we have a problem on our hands

The court appearance of Tiffany Meek, accused of killing her son, Jayden-Lee, is another illustration that we have a capable police service that functions well, when it wants to. 

Meek's court appearance, however, brings to the surface an emerging but also disturbing trend of mothers pretending to be distraught following the disappearance of their children or harm visited upon them. Behind their crocodile tears lurk deceit and amateurish forays into criminality.

Meek fooled  almost the entire nation into believing the police were not doing enough to apprehend the people behind her son’s killing, though some in her circles claim there were red flags and they were actually awaiting her arrest. But most felt her pain. Many South Africans saw her as yet another statistic of a South African failed by our system. Little did they know she was wasting our already strained and limited police resources.

Her court appearance comes hot on the heels of the sentencing of another mother from the Western Cape, Kelly Smith, who is accused of being behind the disappearance of her daughter Joshlin. Smith also sent everyone on a wild-goose chase, with a search for her daughter, knowing very well she had sold her to traffickers.

Police officers and the Saldanha community joined hands as they went on a huge search for little Joshlin in February 2024.

Then in Boipatong, another mother, Keneilwe Shalaba, is accused of killing her two-year-old son, after allegedly reporting a false kidnapping in November last year. Communities rallied behind these mothers and assisted in the search because they believe it takes a village to raise a child.

Though these mothers are divided by distance, they share a common trait of betraying their own blood. They were supposed to offer a sanctuary for their children, but they did the opposite.

In a time when families are supposed to be safe havens for their children, these mothers' alleged betrayal of that sacred trust is incomprehensible.

By leading police on a wild-goose chase, all the while knowing the horrendous fate of their children, these mothers diverted attention from genuine cases of missing children.

To take a life so close, to extinguish a young soul, demands not just condemnation but a great examination of the societal implications that follow such heinous acts.

The actions of these mothers did not just rob innocent children of their future but wasted invaluable state resources.

By leading police on a wild-goose chase, all the while knowing the horrendous fate of their children, these mothers diverted attention from genuine cases of missing children.

This misuse of resources not only hinders investigations but erodes public trust in law enforcement, which should be reserved for the courageous pursuit of justice for all children in real danger.

Meek's appearance in the media, marked by inconsistencies and an apparent detachment, was a red flag. However, because there is no manual for grieving, others perceived this as her coping mechanism. And because we didn't know what happened behind the cameras, it would have been unfair to form a view about her based on a few minutes' interview with the media.

But going back to her interviews, they lacked the raw emotion one would expect from a grieving mother. Instead, they painted a picture of someone who had orchestrated a denial of the horrific reality.

Many were wondering how a mother could so easily veil her heartache at the loss of her child.

This disturbing, increasingly prevalent trend of mothers accused of harming their own children, is not just a series of isolated incidents but a reflection of a deeper societal issue we must confront.

We need to ask ourselves how these profound failures occur and what can be done to prevent them. What forces a mother, naturally given to nurturing, to inflict the ultimate harm on their offspring? Are these mothers failed by societal networks?

There is a suggestion there might have been child abuse in Jayden-Lee's case. Those who had witnessed any of these abuse incidents should have raised the alarm with relevant authorities, and maybe, just maybe, his life could have been spared.

The pain behind these stomach-turning stories should propel us towards a future where such tragedies are unheard of. We must band together as a society to support families and ensure that our systems are equipped to identify and address the signs of distress before they escalate to unspeakable violence. What is clear, though, is that the collective outcry against such actions must be united, clear and resolute from a people who say “thus far and no further”.

As we navigate this disturbing trend that has crept into many communities, let us remain vigilant against any actions that compromise the sanctity of motherhood. The lives of our children are too precious to be tarnished by those who ought to safeguard them.